NEW YORK, Feb. 23 -- In a year of milestones for the AMVER
Safety Network and the world's oceans, the Cruise Shipping '98 convention in
Miami Beach in early March will be the inaugural setting for official
commemorations of several of these events.

AMVER, the Automated Mutual-assistance VEssel Rescue System, sponsored by
the U.S. Coast Guard, celebrates its 40th anniversary during 1998, which has
also been declared the Year of the Ocean by the United Nations. AMVER rolls
out new cost-saving computer software for participants this year. And a
number of cruise ships will be receiving gold AMVER pennants in recognition of
their first five years' continuous participation in the program.

The Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention at the Miami Beach Convention Center
March 3-6 provides the venue to highlight these events. The convention
luncheon on March 4 features keynote speaker Rear Adm. James D. Hull, Director
of Operations Policy for the U.S. Coast Guard. The luncheon will include the
presentation of AMVER awards to U.S.-based cruise ships and shipping
companies.

AMVER is a computerized merchant ship reporting system, the only global
system of its kind. It is available to search and rescue agencies worldwide
for emergencies at sea. With AMVER, rescue coordinators can identify
participating ships in the area of a distress and divert the best-suited ship
or ships to respond.*

Although a number of cruise ships have participated in AMVER for many years
-- most notably the Queen Elizabeth II with 22 years of continuous
participation -- it wasn't until an overhaul of the AMVER computer system was
completed in December 1991 that cruise ships as a class would be encouraged to
enroll. Since then, cruise ships have responded to numerous calls for help,
in many instances saving lives.**

AMVER/SEAS, the new shipboard software being launched this spring, is the
product of a joint venture with COMSAT Corp. and NOAA, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, which is spearheading the Year of the Ocean
campaign. AMVER/SEAS allows participating ships to create one message with
both position reports for AMVER and meteorological reports for NOAA. NOAA
reports flow to the National Weather Service, which provides high seas weather
forecasts for mariners. Messages are sent in compressed binary format via the
ship's satellite terminal, reducing the cost of transmission from about $6 for
a lengthy message sent via standard Inmarsat C text format to a nominal fee
which will be absorbed by NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard.

*AMVER FACTS

-- More than 12,000 ships from 143 countries participate

-- 2,700 ships are on the AMVER "plot" daily

-- More than 1,200 lives were saved between 1993 and 1997 by AMVER

participating ships

-- Participation is free, voluntary and open to merchant ships of all

flags.

-- Participation is normally limited to ships over 1,000 gross tons, on a

voyage of 24 hours or longer. The 1991 upgrade added capacity which

stretched these limits allowing cruise ships which make two port

calls within 24 hours to participate.

**AMVER CASES INVOLVING CRUISE SHIPS

-- July 19, 1997: Cruise Ship Carnival Destiny (Carnival Cruise Lines,

Miami) rescues six Cuban migrants from a raft in Seventh Coast Guard

District waters.

-- April 29, 1997: Cruise Ship Ecstasy (Carnival Cruise Lines, Miami)

recovers seven migrants from the sailing vessel Aliusca in Seventh

District waters.

-- June 24, 1996: Cruise Ship Royal Majesty (Dolphin Cruise Line, Miami)

rescues four people from the 42-foot sail boat Triad, which was

dismasted with a 5-foot hole in the main deck, 425 nautical miles east

of North Carolina.

-- June 10, 1996: Cruise Ship Song of America (Royal Caribbean Cruise

Line) diverts to the location, 420 miles east of North Carolina, of

the pleasure craft Rusty Pelican with a crew member suffering from a

severe umbilical hernia. The patient is treated by the cruise ship's

doctor and two nurses. The ship proceeds to Bermuda with the patient

stabilized for transfer to shore.

/NOTE TO EDITORS: Media are welcome to attend the AMVER awards ceremony at
1 p.m. on March 4 at the Seatrade Convention luncheon. The AMVER booth,
#807, at the convention center will have a demonstration of AMVER system
search and rescue software. Media can also arrange for an AMVER computer
demonstration at the Seventh District's Command Center by contacting Senior
Chief Diaz at 305-536-5641/